Eduard von Below
Eduard Georg Gustav von Below | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | December 29, 1856 Klein Bünzow, Pomerania, Prussia |
| Died | January 13, 1942 (aged 85) Eutin, Schleswig-Holstein, Nazi Germany |
| Allegiance |  German Empire |
| Years of service | 1873 — 1918 |
| Rank | General of the Infantry |
| Battles / wars | World War I |
Eduard Georg Gustav von Below was a German General of the Infantry who notably served the First World War.
Biography
Early life & Family
Eduard came from the old noble family von Below . He was a son of Eduard Friedrich Wilhelm von Below (1815-1894) and his wife Marie Anna Friederike, born von Quistorp (1824-1886).
On March 11, 1887, Below zu Scharstorf in Rostock married Countess Luise Friederike Agnes von Rantzau (born August 14, 1865 in Kiel , † February 15, 1947 in Eutin). The following children were born from the marriage:
- Eduard Karl Robert (born December 25, 1887 in Rostock , † December 24, 1972 in Eutin)
- Karl Georg Ulrich Paul (born June 27, 1891 in Carlshof near Wismar , † October 4, 1973 in Bern)
Military Career
Below began military service on September 10, 1873 from the cadet corps coming as second lieutenant in the ]]Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg]] Fusilier Regiment "Kaiser Wilhelm" no. 90 in Rostock. From 1879 he served as a battalion adjutant and the following year until July 1883 he was commanded for further training at the military academy. For almost two years he Below from April 1887 to January 1889 adjutant of the Rostock district command. He then returned to his regular regiment and was promoted to captain to company commander at the same time . On October 18, 1895 Below was appointed adjutant to the 2nd Division commanded. Left in this position, on September 12, 1896, when he was promoted to major at the same time, he was transferred to the 8th East Prussian Infantry Regiment No. 45 . From June 15, 1898 to May 1, 1903 Below was commander of the 1st Battalion of the Grenadier Regiment "King Friedrich Wilhelm IV." (1st Pomeranian) No. 2. After he had meanwhile become lieutenant colonel on April 18, 1903, he was then transferred to the staff of the Guard Fusilier Regiment . On January 27, 1906, he was given the task of leading the 7th Thuringian Infantry Regiment No. 96 in Gera and was finally promoted to Colonel on April 10, 1906 as commander of this regiment. In 1910 Below became the commander of the 17th Infantry Brigade, which was stationed in Glogau. From October 1, 1912 he was commander of the 9th Division.
Below also led this division as a commander within the 5th Army at the beginning of the First World War. At the same time he was in command from May 13, 1915 to February 1, 1917 to represent the commanding general of the V Army Corps. From February 2, 1917, he was the Commanding General of the V Army Corps . Since November 9, Below led as commander in Army Department C . After the end of the war, Below led his troops back home, then submitted his resignation and was put up for disposition on December 19, 1918.
Awards
- Order of the Red Eagle, 2nd class[1]
- Order of the Crown, 2nd class[1]
- Service award[1]
- Order of the Griffon[1]
- Reussian Cross of Honor[1]
- Saxe-Ernestine House Order[1]
- Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd Class
- Pour le Mérite on August 18, 1917
Foreign Awards
Bulgaria: Order of Saint Alexander [1]
Russia: Order of Saint Anna, 2nd Class[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Rangliste der Königlich Preußischen Armee und des XIII. (Königlich Württembergischen) Armeekorps für 1914. Hrsg.: Kriegsministerium, Ernst Siegfried Mittler & Sohn, Berlin 1914, S. 67
Bibliography
- Hanns Möller: History of the knights of the order pour le mérite in the world war. Volume I: A-L. Verlag Bernard & Graefe, Berlin 1935, pp. 60-61.
- Karl-Friedrich Hildebrand, Christian Zweng: The knights of the order Pour le Mérite of the First World War. Volume 1: A-G. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1999, ISBN 3-7648-2505-7 , pp. 76-78.